The British Horseracing Authority said on Thursday that it will “consult” with the Professional Jockeys’ Association over the effectiveness of whip rules in major races after the publication of data which showed an overall drop in whip offences in 2015 but a rise in Group One and Grade One events.

The latest figures from the regulator show that the total number of whip offences during the calendar year has dropped by 48% since 2010, from 1,029 to 538, while the latest figure also represented a 9%reduction on 2014. Cases of interference have also fallen by 40% since the introduction of a new regime in 2012, which sharply reduced the number of times the whip can be used before triggering an inquiry into a possible offence.

However, the number of winning rides in a total of 72 Group One or Grade One races which also incurred a suspension for a whip offence rose from five to 10 in 2015. The total number of offences in the most important events also increased, from 13 to 22, with one recent example being the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Paddy Brennan and Ruby Walsh, first and second on Cue Card and Vautour in the Grade One feature event of the Christmas programme, were banned for 11 and two days respectively. Brennan, who was found to have used his whip 16 times on Cue Card, was also fined £4,200.

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“The new data is encouraging and evidence of an ongoing cultural change in the use of the whip by riders based in Britain,” Jamie Stier, the BHA’s director of raceday operations and regulation, said on Thursday. “Those objectives include reducing the number of offences, creating a change in culture towards the whip and safeguarding equine welfare.

“Prior to the whip review [in 2011] the number of offences was rising at an unacceptable rate. However, under the new rules the number of offences has nearly halved. Bearing in mind that the thresholds for use were also effectively halved, this equates to a substantial, positive change to the manner in which the whip is being used in Britain.”

However, Stier also highlighted the rise in offences in major races. “One area of concern that arises from the 2015 data is the increased frequency of offences in races at the top level,” he said. “We have committed to a further analysis of this data and through the normal annual process will be consulting with the Professional Jockeys Association to ensure that the rules and penalty structure provide a sufficient deterrent, while remaining fair and proportionate.”

In its own response to the figures, the PJA also welcomed the overall reduction in whip offences, while warning that the sample in Group One and Grade One races was too limited to draw any conclusion or amend the current penalty structure.

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“The figures in general reflect enormous credit on our members, and are testament to how they have adjusted their riding styles to these rules,” Paul Struthers, the chief executive of the PJA, said. “It is also testament to how quickly they have adapted that in a recent survey of PJA members, 85% of respondents stated that they were happy with the current whip rules.

“Of course we understand that the rise in suspensions incurred in Group and Grade 1 races is something that the BHA are keen to have a closer look at, but our view is that a one-year increase is no justification in itself to increase an already harsh penalty regime.

“We have strong views on the subject and will engage constructively in the annual penalties review as we have already been doing in relation to other issues where discussions have already commenced, such as for careless riding offences.”

Struthers also dismissed calls for horses to be disqualified from their finishing position when their riders commit a whip offence.

“It is my view that those who advocate disqualification or some other form of draconian deterrent on the basis that it is a panacea and will cease breaches overnight are not thinking it through,” Struthers said. “There are many rules, both in racing and other sports, that result in disqualification but that doesn’t prevent those rules from being broken inadvertently. I have absolutely no doubt it would exacerbate the problem, not solve it.”

Chester will become the first British racecourse to pay appearance money to the owners of runners at the track during its 2016 season. The owner of every horse that runs at Chester this year will receive at least £400, depending on whether it also wins a share of the prize money, with earnings of less than £400 “topped up to ensure that no owner leaves Chester with less than £400 per runner”, according to a statement from the course on Thursday.

Chester also announced an 8% increase in prize money for its feature event of the season, the Boodles May Festival on 4-6 May, to £781,000.